Holistic Billing ICD-10 Codes

What is holistic medicine?

The true essence of life is in the balanced healing of the mind, body, and spirit.The approach of holistic medicine is to heal the body physically, emotionally, socially, mentally, and spiritually at the same time. 

Domains of holistic medicine

Holistic medicine covers a broad range of  practices in medical field, such as;

• Acupuncture
• Chiropractor
• Massage therapy
• Dietary changes
• Naturopathy
• Homeopathy
• Mind-body interventions

Through this blog, we aim to simplify ICD-10 codes in holistic billing and highlight their significance in medical billing.

Understanding ICD-10

ICD-10 stands for “The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. It is a set of diagnosis codes that indicate disorders and diseases, associated health problems, abnormal findings, signs and symptoms, injuries, and external sources of injuries and diseases. 

Comparing ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS

• ICD-10-CM is a collection of diagnostic codes used in all healthcare settings.
• ICD-10-PCS is a procedure code system used exclusively in hospital inpatient settings.

In the United States, the terms ICD-10-CM and ICD-10 are commonly used interchangeably, which is due to the fact that ICD-10-CM is used to report diagnoses in all healthcare settings. It’s also worth noting that ICD-10 may refer to the WHO medical coding system, which is distinct from the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS versions used in the United States. 

Format of ICD-10-CM Codes

ICD-10-CM codes are composed of three to seven characters. Every code begins with an alphabetical character that corresponds to the chapter in which it is classified. The second and third characters are numerical. The fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh characters may be numbers or letters. Here are some instances of ICD-10-CM codes and the conditions they indicate.

M54.54  low back pain

F02.B  Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, moderate 

A04.9    Bacterial intestinal infection, unspecified

With each additional character, the ICD-10-CM code represents more particular diagnostic data. Diagnoses must be coded with the highest level of specificity possible within the ICD-10-CM code set. For example, migraine G43 should not be coded to a patient diagnosed with Migraine with aura, intractable G43.11 The diagnosis of migraine with aura necessitates an additional digit and is classified as G43.11 migraine with aura, intractable. Payers will not accept incomplete (truncated) codes. This level of coding depth does not have to be memorized. The code set is designed so that coders can select the most specific diagnosis code.

Holistic billing ICD-10 codes

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to medical items and practices that are not part of traditional medical care. Alternative medicine billing codes can relate to the payment of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services. CAM is a term that refers to non-traditional health care approaches that are utilized instead of or in addition to conventional medical care. It includes:

• Acupuncture
•  Ayurveda
•  Homeopathy
• Naturopathy
• Chinese or Oriental medicine
• herbal supplements
• relaxation exercises, and meditation

Acupuncture ICD-10 billing codes

Chiropractic billing ICD-10 codes

Tennis Elbow

• M77.1 Lateral epicondylitis
  • M77.10  unspecified elbow
  • M77.11   right elbow
  • M77.12   left elbow

Migraine Headaches

• G43 Migraine
  • G43.0 Migraine without aura
  • G43.1 Migraine with aura
  • G43.4 Hemiplegic migraine
  • G43.5 Persistent migraine aura without cerebral infarction
  • G43.6 Persistent migraine aura with cerebral infarction
  • G43.7 Chronic migraine without aura
  • G43.9 Migraine, unspecified

Scoliosis

• M41 Scoliosis
  • M41.0 Infantile idiopathic scoliosis
  • M41.1 Juvenile and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
  • M41.2 Other idiopathic scoliosis
  • M41.3 Thoracogenic scoliosis
  • M41.4 Neuromuscular scoliosis
  • M41.5 Other secondary scoliosis
  • M41.8 Other forms of scoliosis
  • M41.9 Scoliosis, unspecified

Fibromyalgia

• M79.7 Fibromyalgia

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

• G56.0 Carpal tunnel syndrome

Naturopathy insurance billing codes

Naturopathic physicians (naturopaths) use the same World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes as allopathic physicians (allopaths) and osteopathic physicians (osteopaths).

The primary ICD-10 code for naturopathic treatment is Z71.8, which signifies “Encounter for health counseling related to lifestyle factors.”

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a type of complementary or alternative medicine that’s based on the use of highly diluted substances, which practitioners claim can cause the body to heal itself.Laws regulating the practice of homeopathy billing and coding in the United States vary from state to state. Usually, individuals licensed to practice medicine or another health care profession can legally practice homeopathy

The most commonly used herbal medicine ICD-10 code for abuse of herbal or folk remedies is F55.1. This code is used for reimbursement purposes. 

Mental Therapies:

Some commonly used icd-10 are below:

F43.23: Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood

F43.22: Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety

F33.1: Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent, Moderate

F41.9: Anxiety Disorder, Unspecified

F43.21: Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood

F43.12: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Chronic

F41.1: Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Psychotherapy:

Z03.2: Observation for Suspected Mental and Behavioral Disorders

Z09.3: Follow-Up Examination After Psychotherapy

Z00.4: General Psychiatric Examination, Not Elsewhere Classified

Z13.3: Special Screening Examination for Mental and Behavioral Disorders

Integrative medicine

Integrative medicine is a medical care approach that blends traditional medicine with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) methods that have been scientifically proven to be both safe and effective. This method frequently emphasizes the patient’s preferences and seeks to treat the mental, physical, and spiritual components of wellness.Integrative medicine ICD-10 codes depend on the particular type of conventional treatment combined with complementary and alternative medicine; respective ICD-10 codes will be used.

Functional medicine billing codes

The goal of functional medicine has consistently been related to understanding the fundamental cause of changes in the physical, metabolic, cognitive, and behavioral systems of the body, particularly identifying root causes of chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus and inflammatory arthritis through nutrition, lifestyle, and holistic approaches.

Developmental Delay

The child is not reaching targets for social/emotional, cognitive, and movement/physical development.

• R62.0—Delayed milestone in childhood (applies to 0-17 years)
• R62.50—Unspecified lack of expected normal physiological development in childhood (includes delayed growth)
• F84—Pervasive developmental disorder
• F88—Other disorders of psychological development (global developmental delay)
• F89—Unspecified disorder of psychological development
• F81—Specific developmental disorders of scholastic skills (involved in understanding or using language, manifested in impaired listening, thinking, talking, reading, writing, or arithmetic skills). Includes perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, and developmental aphasia.
  • F81.8—Other developmental disorders of scholastic skills
  • F81.81—Disorder of written expression
  • F81.89 Other developmental disorders of scholastic skills
  • F81.9—Developmental disorder of scholastic skills, unspecified

Conclusion:

The time-to-time changes in the insurance coverage for holistic treatments have made coding compliance a primary priority for many physician offices. With the tremendous expansion of the holistic ICD-10 code set, providers are struggling to determine the appropriate codes to use and the type of detail required. 

• If practices lack a solid understanding of proper coding, they may mistakenly undercode or overcode. 
• If an organization undercodes, it may not receive all of the compensation to which it is entitled and may even be denied, depending on the circumstances. 
• On the other side, excessive coding may result in penalties and other regulatory implications.

Efficient and accurate billing is essential for the financial success of holistic billing. EmdeonMD provides customized holistic billing services that optimize procedures, reduce errors, and maximize revenue for holistic billing. From claim submission to denial management, our expert team ensures that your billing process goes smoothly, giving you more time to focus on providing exceptional patient care.

FAQs

1. What are holistic practices in health care?

Holistic care is a comprehensive approach for the overall emotional, social, physical, and mental well-being of the body. Practitioners promote this natural healing process with a variety of therapies and interventions, both conventional and alternative.

2. What is the significance of naming ICD-10 codes?

The ICD-10 stands for “The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision.” It is a collection of diagnostic codes that identify disorders and diseases and other related health issues.

3. What do the digits represent after the decimal point in an ICD-10 code?

The digit after a decimal point in an ICD-10 code gives an accurate and precise detail about a specified condition or disease. For instance, the G43 code describes a condition of migraine, whereas the G43.1 code specifies a condition called migraine with aura.

4. Briefly explain commonly used alphabets for ICD-10 codes in mental and psychotherapy holistic billing.

Holistic care in mental health and psychotherapy uses F and Z codes, respectively.

5. Write down best practices for ICD-10 coding in holistic healthcare billing. 

Stay up to date on coding changes. Use particular ICD-10 codes that accurately describe the overall therapy to ensure proper reimbursement and keep thorough paperwork.Consider outsourcing medical billing to specialized professionals to decrease errors and maximize reimbursement.